Taking workout supplements just got risky. A new study has found that many over-the-counter muscle-building powders contain steroids, stimulants and other illegal substances that are putting the health of Australian gym-goers at risk.

Researchers looked at over 60 supplements and found that almost one-in-five contained banned substances. More concerningly, one of the substances found was potentially-fatal anabolic drugs.

The study showed the hidden risks of using products available at bodybuilding stores and over the internet aimed at helping gym-goers bulk up.

Sarah Martin, one of the lead authors, said gym-goers should take advice from doctors on supplements, not from blogs, friends or personal trainers.

Have you had any problems using supplements? We want to hear from you, email Hack@abc.net.au

‘Fly-by-night’ operators putting people at risk

She said illegal substances in corrupted protein powders could cause serious health damage. For men, this included hair loss, shrinking testicles, impotence and increased risk of heart disease.

“Problems resulting from sports supplements can be counterintuitive if the motivation for use is to ‘get fit’ and ‘bulk up’,” Dr Martin added.

Protein powders may be laced with illegal drugs, a new study has found

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He slammed the multitude of internet-based companies spruiking protein powders, saying they often weren’t concerned about tipping in banned substances.

“There are legit supplement companies out there, but the problem is the barriers to entry are quite low so anyone can start a supplement company,” Dr Sukala told Hack.

“In many cases, adulterated products are sold online and shipped from Asia by dodgy fly-by-night companies. Or they are adulterated here in Australia and the sellers hope for the best and that the bodies don't start stacking up.”

Industry needs ‘heavy regulation’ overhaul

Dr Sukala said the supplements industry needed a shake-up to boost safeguards for users.

“Remember that it's not difficult to set up a website and maintain anonymity. Then, if a product attracts heat from authorities, they can just shut down the site and disappear into the ether,” he said.

He said smaller operators could “fly under the radar fly” and only got chased by authorities once they became “larger and more brash”.

But even big players pushing shonky supplements could be tough to shut down.

“Prosecuting offenders can be costly and time consuming,” Dr Sukala said.

“At the moment It is very much a game of whack-a-mole, the authorities take down one dodgy dealer and another three pop up in their place.”

He urged authorities to “heavily regulate” the sector for product purity, truthful labelling, and marketing claims to limit the risk from tainted supplements.

Currently, only a fraction of the many supplements available on the market currently get tested. As previously reported on Hack that’s because protein supplements can be classified either as a therapeutic good or as a food, depending on the packaging and the marketing claims.

Those classified as foods are not routinely tested, while the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) only examines a fraction of the thousands of products listed on the Australian Therapeutic Goods Register. In 2016, it tested fewer than 500 complementary medicines out of the 11,000 on the market in Australia.

So right now, it’s a case of buyer beware.

Melbourne University’s Peter Crack said the reality was that supplements bought online could “really be anything”, due to the lack of oversight.

‘You don’t need to be packing yourself full of supplements'

Dr Crack, an expert in pharmacology and therapeutics, reminded gym-goers that they didn’t need to take online supplements to make workout gains, if they looked after their diet.

“Similar improvement in fitness may be gained through changes in nutrition, training and sleep program … really your average person attending the gym doesn’t need to be buying online supplements,” he told Hack.

“You can get enough protein in a normal healthy diet so you don’t need to be packing yourself full of supplements.”

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